January 3, 2004

Men’s Basketball Hits 17 Three Pointers

UNK Improves to 10-0

            Kearney, NE – A night after making 11 three pointers, the 9^th-ranked Nebraska-Kearney men’s basketball team sunk a school-record 17 triples in a 116-87 victory over New Mexico Highlands Saturday night at the Health & Sports Center.

            UNK (10-0, 3-0 RMAC) runs its home court win streak to 25 games while Highlands falls to 4-6 (1-2 RMAC) on the year.

            All nine Lopers who suited up scored at least five points in the game with six reaching double figures. Omaha junior Cameron Lollar had 17 of his team-high 24 points in the second half while North Platte senior Jacob Mohs hit 6 of 7 threes to tally a career-best 20 points.

            The previous team three point record was 16, set in 1994 vs. William Penn (Iowa). Mohs hit three triples in the last 2:47 to help the Lopers break the record.

            UNK grabbed a 21-12 lead early in the game thanks to a 6 of 10 effort from behind the three point line. Four of those threes came courtesy of Grand Island senior guard Brian Dunagan, who finished the game with 18 points. 

            Highlands did rally from a 16 point first half deficit to trail by just eight points, 50-42, early in the second half. UNK responded with a 14-3 run over a three minute span to push the score to 66-45 and the Cowboys never made a serious run the rest of the night.

            Nine of the points in the run came from Utah junior Will Taukiuvea, who had 15 points in the game. He capped off the run with, what else, a three pointer.

            UNK made 17 of 26 three pointers on the night (65.3 percent), including a 9 of 10 effort in the second half. Last night against Colorado-State Pueblo, the Lopers sunk 11 of 27 from downtown.

            The blue and gold also scored 36 of its points off 24 Highlands turnovers and saw its bench out score the Cowboy reserves, 55-27.

            Senior Nick Branting had 11 points and five rebounds in 24 minutes of work while Columbus freshman Dusty Jura had a double double (11 points, 11 rebounds) in 28 minutes.

            Terence Mirabal led Highlands with 20 points while Gene Gonzales came off the bench to score 17. Highlands (9 of 18) also shot well from the three point line.

            UNK travels to Fort Lewis and Adams State next weekend.